‘Hero of Kangchenjunga’ Colonel Prem Chand dies in Kullu

Kullu, October 5

Colonel Prem Chand (Retd) (87), who scaled the country’s highest peak Kangchenjunga in May 1977, died here yesterday. He had been ill for some time.

A resident of Lindur village in Lahaul and Spiti district, Colonel Prem devoted his life to adventure. He started climbing mountains from a very young age.

He was known as the ‘Hero of Kangchenjunga’. Seeing his courage and passion to scale mountains, the Army had decorated him with the name of ‘Snow Tiger’.

One of the best mountaineers, the Colonel was the founder of the Himalayan Outdoor Adventure Academy. He scaled more than 30 peaks in various places, including Bhutan, Sikkim, Nepal, Garhwal, Kashmir and eastern Karakoram.

The Mountaineering Federation of India awarded him a Gold Medal for his excellence in mountaineering. He was also selected to lead the Indian Ski team for the 1972 Winter Olympics.

There is a pall of gloom in Lahaul and Kullu on his death.